October 30, 2013

The United States Postal Service announced that it printed 100 additional sheets of stamps of the recently issued Inverted Jenny stamp, but with the plane flying right-side up.

These very limited edition stamps were circulated with the recent issue of the most famous "misprinted" stamp. Customers who have recently purchased the new Inverted Jenny stamp could have a very limited edition of the famous stamp.

Unique to the stamp issuance, all sheets were individually wrapped in a sealed envelope to recreate the excitement of finding an Inverted Jenny when opening the envelope and to avoid the possibility of discovering a corrected Jenny prior to purchase.

"We are leveraging the incredible story behind the rare collectible as a creative way to generate interest in stamp collecting while highlighting the role the Post Office Department had in developing the commercial aviation industry," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said.

Individuals purchasing 'corrected Jenny sheets' will find a congratulatory note inside the wrapping asking them to call a phone number to receive a certificate of acknowledgement signed by the Postmaster General.

Two eerie occurrences took place surrounding the nation's first airmail flight that took place 1918. The pilot got lost, flew in the wrong direction and crashed. And due to a printing error of the 24-cent Curtiss Jenny airmail stamp created to commemorate the historic event, the biplane was depicted flying upside down on one sheet of 100 stamps that was sold to the public.

In 1918, in a rush to celebrate the first airmail flight, the Post Office department issued the 24-cent Curtiss Jenny stamp. Because the design required two colors, sheets were placed on the printing press twice - first to apply red ink and a second time to apply blue ink. This process was given to human error - as stamp collectors at the time well knew.

A Washington, D.C., Post Office clerk - who had never seen an airplane - sold a sheet of 100 stamps mistakenly showing the biplane upside down. For nearly a century, stamp collectors have chased the Inverted Jennys and have accounted for nearly all 100 of them.

The 100 sheets were distributed randomly among the nation's Post Offices and at the Postal Service's Stamp Fulfillment Center, which accepts stamp orders online at: usps.com/stamps, and by calling (800) STAMP24 (782-6724).

Additionally, some of the 100 also were randomly distributed at: ebay.com/stamps

Customers may view the Stamp Collecting: Inverted Jenny Forever stamps, as well as many of this year's other stamps, at: facebook.com/USPSStamps, Twitter@USPSstamps or on the Web site Beyond the Perf at: beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service's online site for information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.